Eat Smart at Baseball's Famous Ballparks

We don't yet know which team is going to win the World Series, but at this point in the season, at least one thing is clear: When it comes to the best local ballpark eats, some major league teams had a leg up long before the first pitch was thrown. As modern ballparks have turned the seventh-inning stretch into a way for teams to show off their city's most famous foods, ballpark meals have become bigger (and fattier) than ever before. Although there's nothing wrong with indulging in fatty hometown favorites such as New York hot dogs, Kansas City barbecue, and Milwaukee beer on special occasions, it's important to remember that these dishes have health consequences.

To help separate the small splurges from the downright terrible-for-you dishes, we turned to registered dietitian Jim White, RD, a spokesman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and founder of Jim White Fitness and Nutrition Studios in Virginia Beach, Va. Read on to see how your team's fare faired. Play ball!

CREDIT: Jennifer Yin/Flickr

Ben's Chili at the Washington Nationals Stadium

On the whole, chili gets a thumbs-up as one of the best ballpark foods. “It’s a great choice, high in protein, high in fiber,” White says.

Minimize the diet damage: For the most fiber possible in your meal, pick bean chili and be careful what you add to your bowl. A heap of cheese or sour cream (or both) and a generous amount of crackers can undermine the health benefit of your ballpark choice, but a veggie topping such as grilled onions or hot peppers can be a healthy add.

CREDIT: Wally Gobetz/Flickr

Kansas City Royals All-Star Barbecue

Barbecue can be a diet treat fit for “Royals” if you're smart and keep your portions under control. “Barbecue sauce is high in sugar, but not usually that much fat,” White notes.

Minimize the diet damage: Often you can limit the amount of sauce that’s slathered on, or ask for it on the side. White also advises skipping any bread — just indulge in the sumptuous barbecued meats, and if you need more oomph, add hot sauce to the barbecue. “Spicy foods help speed up the metabolism slightly,” White says.

CREDIT: Eric Molina/Flickr

The New York Hot Dog

It’s just not a ballgame in New York without the humble hot dog. This classic fare for ballparks and sweaty summer days doesn’t have to be a diet disaster, especially if you choose the all-beef variety. “Hot dogs aren’t the worst in the ballpark,” White says.

Minimize the diet damage: If you want to make it a somewhat healthy ballpark choice, watch the condiments. Says White, “Take away the chili and cheese — have it as ‘naked’ as possible.” Skipping toppings can not only help you save calories, but also the surprisingly high amounts of sugar that hide in seemingly innocent toppings such as ketchup and relish.

Philly Cheesesteaks

Fans cheering on the Philadelphia Phillies are usually chomping down on the city’s signature meat-and-melted-cheese sandwich, the cheesesteak — not a healthy ballpark choice. “This is loaded with sodium and high in fat,” White says, especially when slathered with traditional Cheez Whiz.

Also in Philly, a potentially worse strike against your diet is the ballpark’s Schmitter sandwich — thin sliced beef, salami, tomatoes, onions, and special sauce on a white Kaiser roll, which White estimates to have 960 calories.

Minimize the diet damage: Skip the orange melt and load on onions, pickles, and peppers instead. Consider skipping the bun and just eating the filling (it’s the best part, anyway) or splitting it with a friend to save some calories.

CREDIT: Kate Hopkins/Flickr

Arizona Diamondbacks Sonoran Hot Dog

There could be nothing worse for your diet than a hot dog wrapped in bacon and stuffed in a bun, right? Just wait until the additional layers of pinto beans, cheese, salsa, avocado, and mayonnaise are added to the D-backs’ Sonoran Hot Dog.

Minimize the diet damage: Skip the cheese and the mayo. “Put on as many veggies as possible and drop the bun,” White suggests. Your dog will still be loaded with fat and calories, but cutting these add-ons will trim 200 to 300 calories from the fat feast.

CREDIT: Liza Lagman Sperl/Flickr

St. Louis Toasted Ravioli

The Cardinals’ favorite sin, these raviolis are stuffed with fatty veal, beef, or cheese, floured, fried, and slathered in tomato sauce. If this dish has one saving grace, it’s the “red gravy” that tops the rav, White says, because it’s loaded with the antioxidant lycopene. But the ravioli itself? Not so much. “Ravioli can be quite high in fat," he notes. "When you deep fry it, it’s a killer for the midsection.”

Minimize the diet damage: Just about the only thing you can do with this dish is limit your portion size. Have one or two ravs to get a taste, and then move on to a healthier option.

CREDIT: Phil Denton/Flickr

Chicago-Style Pizza

Whether you’re a Cubs or a Sox fans, it’s practically impossible to visit the Windy City without a fat slice of Chicago-style, deep-dish pizza. But the thick crust and even thicker toppings is high on the list of diet disasters. “The deep dish is just loaded with cheese, calories, and sodium,” White says.

Minimize the diet damage: If pizza is in your ballgame nutrition plan, prep before you head to the game to undo the damage of this unhealthy ballpark choice. “Drink a lot of water and fill up on roughage — fruits and veggies,” he says. That way you won’t be tempted to turn a one-slice treat into a whole personal pizza.

Milwaukee's Beer and Brats

Links are so popular at Miller Stadium that there’s a mascot for each one — Italian sausage, Polish sausage, hot dogs, chorizo, and brats. Unfortunately, the ballpark’s famous Racing Sausages get a lot more of a workout than munching fans in the stands. Indulge in all five nutrition no-no’s and you'll have a full house of fat and sodium, White says.

Minimize the diet damage: Instead, pick one or two dogs from the list and share with your ballpark buddy to sample the flavor without overindulging.

When it’s Miller time, remember that beer is all about empty calories, he notes, so keep it light. Because all that beer and sodium is dehydrating, make sure that you drink water as well while you cheer on your team.

CREDIT: Wally Gobetz/Flickr

Denver's Rocky Mountain Oysters

If you thought these were healthy ballpark choices, we’ll ruin the surprise. Far from sweet seafood, these mile-high “oysters” are really bull testicles, peeled, flattened, floured, and fried. “There’s protein in bull testicles,” muses White, who acknowledges this is not a food item dietitians regularly address. “That’s a bucket list thing that I imagine extreme people would eat.”

Minimize the diet damage: If oysters are on your to-eat list, just remember that frying increases the calories, so eat light for the rest of the day. A healthier alternative for best ballpark food: the Rockies’ Coors Stadium offers sushi.

CREDIT: Wally Gobetz/Flickr

San Francisco's Gilroy Garlic Fries

Get in the game of smelling the garlic at the San Francisco Giants’ AT&T Park. The town is close to Gilroy, home of garlic fields that you can smell from miles away. For garlic lovers, the Gilroy garlic fries served at the ballpark are a special treat. “Garlic is high in antioxidants and a lot of nutritional benefits,” White says. Unfortunately that can’t stand up to the fat and calories in the French fries, so even with the addition of garlic, practice restraint.

Minimize the diet damage: Share the fries and eat a small burger patty or hot dog (hold the bun) along with them for some protein.

CREDIT: Brian Halvorsen/Flickr

Circling the Bases for the Best Ballpark Food

If you’re not out to try the locals’ favorite foods, take a walk around the concession stands during the seventh-inning stretch to find the ballpark’s healthiest choices, White suggests. Some of the best ballpark foods offering nine innings of nutrition are popcorn, shell-on unsalted peanuts, fresh fruit, smoothies, veggies with salsa for dipping, turkey sandwiches, and sushi when you can find it. Remember, it’s fine to root, root, root for the home team with a bottle of water and a hummus plate in your hand instead of deep-fried foods and an oversized beer.

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